Indigenous people kept away from economic opportunity by weed legalization: Senate committee

OTTAWA – A Senate committee says the current cannabis market and laws prevent Indigenous peoples from sharing in the economic opportunities that the legalization of recreational marijuana has created.

The standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples wants the country to shift its approach to cannabis to help Indigenous communities and entrepreneurs better benefit from the weed market.

The commission found that some First Nations have been completely barred from participating in the cannabis market because some provinces and territories have not responded to their requests for agreements to produce and sell cannabis.

While agreements have been reached in British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan, indigenous communities told the committee that Quebec and the Northwest Territories have not taken similar steps.

The commission also wants an excise tax sharing framework specific to Indigenous communities developed to allow First Nations communities to share revenue more broadly.

First Nations communities do not receive a portion of the tax, which is shared between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments and is also levied on alcohol, tobacco, and fuel.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 15, 2023.

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